- There are a few different control schemes used on different bass amplifiers and equalizers. The most basic setup is to have a knob for bass, mid and treble. A few amps go slightly further and separate mid into low mid and high mid knobs. Equalizers will often have about seven sliders, which further separate the bass, mid and treble settings into smaller tone ranges. The more settings available, the more the tone can be sculpted, but it can take a lot longer to adjust those extra settings.
- Bass EQ will generally be divided into bass, mid and treble, even when more settings are available. A low bass setting can sound thin and weak, but a high bass setting can be too booming and undefined. A low mid setting will cause the tone to sound undefined, but turning the mid too high can create an unpleasant "honk" noise. A low treble setting can cause the overall tone to sound dull, but turning treble too high can create a piercing tone.
- When in doubt, the flat EQ settings are the easiest to use. They will not usually produce a great tone, but the tone will also not be particularly unpleasant. The note definition is decent, but cutting through some mixes might be an issue. Simply set bass, mid and treble at a moderate setting (usually 5). On an equalizer, the frequency sliders should be set straight across the middle of the slider range.
- The smile EQ setting can be useful to slap bass players; it creates a booming, powerful tone. The note definition is not very good, and does not lend itself very well to many other styles of playing. This setting has about a medium setting for mid (around 5), with high settings for treble and bass (about 7 to 10). On an equalizer, the sliders form a pattern that resembles a smile. The values of the settings gradually increase as you move farther from the middle frequency settings.
- The frown EQ is a much more general setting that will be useful for almost any bass player. This setting has good note definition and can cut through most mixes without too much difficulty. It will also usually avoid just about all of the unpleasant EQ tone settings with ease. The treble and bass have moderate settings (about 5), with a slightly higher mid setting (7 to 8). On an equalizer, the sliders make a slight frown. The values from the treble and bass extremes gradually move up toward the mid frequency ranges.
